Boys

2nd day of school...

September: The boys were throwing mushrooms at us girls at recess. Is that normal??

(Yes, Sep, boys do dumb stuff to get girls' attention from now until about 22 years old....)

First Day Of School Ever; For Everyone.

Except maybe, Eyann, because we think she was in school in China, but still....

Surprise!!

Me: Soren, you need to get your teeth brushed and get in bed, so you can get up on time tomorrow. 
Soren: For what?
Me: For school, buddy....

Soren: You mean we have to do it AGAIN???

Poor kid...I forgot to mention, when we told him he'd get to go to school, that it was for the next eleven years of his life....

I whupped my kids

16 years

Things I remember doing with the guy I've been married to for 16 years.

1. Making a table out of dead branches, in the woods, then dragging it home and realizing it was way bigger than we thought and not being able to fit it through the door.
2. Bringing the table back to the woods.
3. Driving to GR from up north, getting off to pee, getting back on the highway, and realizing when we were almost home again that we went the wrong way.
4. Taking Alroy, the guy I took care of in Minneapolis, to church with us on Sundays and having him try to ram his wheelchair into our ankles if the pastor spoke too long.
5. Getting a donut from D & W every night before we ended our date.
6. Telling Keith I could do Thanksgiving without family or turkey (when we lived in another state) and him having to listen to me cry all day when I couldn't.
7. Stealing rolls of toilet paper from the campground bathroom to start a fire, because our fire wood was wet from all the (surprise, surprise!) rain.

Still haven't met anyone I'd rather be married to. Happy 16th (a day late), Foisy.

Threats

We were out of drinks and we were on the highway and hadn't seen a rest stop in a very long time. 
Soren: Mom, I'm thirsty! I need a drink! (This was repeated 20 times or so.) 
Me: Soren, if you ask for a drink again, I'm going to throw you out the window.
Soren: (Two seconds later) Okay...Mom, can you give me a drink?

The power of empty threats.

Washington DC

Virginia 2014

Eyann is Seven

Today, our girl is seven. 

We have a hard time remembering Foisy life without her. 

She's shown us what it looks like...

to say sorry even when you think it is really, really hard.
to have as much fun as you can wherever you are and with whomever you are with.
to say everything AS LOUDLY as possible ("so the deaf people think they've been healed," says Basil.)
to laugh like whatever just happened is the funniest thing that has happened so far in your life.
to sing a bunch, even if you don't know the words.
to keep trying and trying and trying until you get it, whatever "it" is.
to love potato chips ALOT.
to not be shy.
to take turns well.
to always be looking for a way to help.
to hug tight.
to karate chop violently.
to love life, no matter how hard it is and no matter what happens in it.
to laugh again. (and again.)

Super Girl

This girl, who hates pink and flowers and all things girly, who loves super heroes and jeans and NOT doing her hair...killed a giant, grizzly-spider for me tonight when "Papa was busy outside."

Finally

Math Problem: Laura has 48 apples. If Laura shares them with her 5 friends, how many will each friend get? Is there any left over? 

Sep: I don't know! Who cares!? Why doesn't LAURA figure it out??

This kid doesn't like math.

Spring Break 2014